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PROCLAIVIATION 
and WAR PROGRAM 



The Socialist Party of the 
United States in the present grave 
crisis, , solemnly reaffirms its al- 
legiance to the principle of in- 
ternationalism and working class 
solidarity the world over, and pro- 
claims its unalterable opposition to 
the war just declared by the gov- 
ernment of the United States. 

Modern wars as a rule have been 
caused by the commercial and 
financial rivalry and intrigues of 
the capitalist interests in the dif- 
ferent countries. Whether they 
have been frankly waged as wars 
of aggression or have been hypo- 
critically represented as wars of 
"defense", they have always been 
made by the classes and fought by 
the masses. Wars bring wealth 
and power to the ruling classes, and 
suffering, death and demoralization 
to the workers. 

They breed a sinister spirit of 
passion, unreason, race hatred and 
false patriotism. They obscure the 
struggles of the workers for life, 
liberty and social justice. They 
tend to sever the vital bonds of 
solidarity between them and their 
brothers in other countries, to de- 
stroy their organizations and to 
curteil their civic and political 
rights and liberties. 

The Socialist Party of the 
United States is unalterably op- 
posed to the system of exploitation 
and class rule which is upheld and 
strengthened by military power 
and sham national patriotism. We, 
therefore, call upon the workers of 
all countries to refuse support to 
their governments in their wars. 
The wars of the contending nation- 
al groups of capitalists are not the 



concern of the workers. The only 
struggle which would justify the 
workers in taking up arms is the 
great struggle of the working class 
of the world to free itself from 
economic exploitation and political 
oppression, and we particularly 
warn the workers against the snare 
and delusion of defensive warfare. 
As against the false doctrine of na- 
tional patriotism we uohold the 
ideal of international working-class 
solidarity. In support of capital- 
ism, we will not willingly give a 
single life or a single dollar ; in sup 
port of the struggle of the workers 
for freedom we pledge our all. 

The mad orgy of death and 
destruction which is now convuls- 
ing unfortunate Europe was caused 
by the conflict of capitalist inter- 
ests in the European countries. 

In each of these countries, the 
workers were oppressed and ex- 
ploited. They produced enormous 
wealth but the bulk of it was with- 
held from them by the, owners of 
the industries. The workers were 
thus deprived of the means to re- 
purchase the wealth which they 
themselves had created. 

The capitalist class of each coun- 
try was forced to look for foreign 
markets to dispose of the accumu- 
lated "surplus" wealth. The huge 
profits made by the capitahsts 
could no longer be profitably rein- 
vested in their own countries, 
hence, they were driven to look 
for foreign fields of investment. 
The geographical boundaries of 
each modern capitalist country 
thus became too naiTow for the in- 
dustrial and commercial operations 
of its capitalist clasi. 




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The efforts of the capitalists of 
all leading nations were therefore 
centered upon the domination of 
the world markets. Imperialism 
became the dominant note in the 
politics of Europe. The acquisition 
of colonial possessions and the ex- 
tension of spheres of commercial 
and political influence became the 
object of diplomatic intrigues and 
the cause of constant clashes be- 
tween nations. 

The acute competition between 
the capitalist powers of the earth, 
their jealousies and distrusts of 
one another and the fear of the ris- 
king p^wer of the working class 
iorced each of them to arm to the 
ieeth. This led to the mad rivalry 
/of armament, which, years before 
(the outbreak of the present war, 
\had turned the leading countries of 
'Europe into armed camps with 
standing armies of many millions, 
drilled and equipped for war in 
times of "peace." 

Capitalism, imperiahsm, and 
militarism had thus laid the foun- 
dation of an inevitable general con- 
flict in Europe. The ghastly war 
in Europe was not caused by an ac- 
cidental event, nor by the policy or 
institutions of any single nation. 
It was the logical outcome of the 
competitive capitalist system. 

The six million men of all coun- 
tries and races who habe been 
ruthlessly slain in the first thirty 
months of this war, the millions of 
others who have been crippled and 
maimed, the vast treasures of 
wealth that have been destroyed, 
the untold misei'y and sufferings 
.of Europe, have not been sacrifices 
exacted in a struggle for principles 
or ideals, but wanton afferings 
upon the altar of private profit. 

The forces of capitalism which 
have led to the war in Europe are 
even more hideously transparent 
in the war recently provoked by 
the ruling class of this country. 

When Belgium was invaded, the 
"•vernment enjoined upon the peo- 



S6 



pie of this country the duty of re- 
meining neutral, thus clearly dem- 
onstrating that the "dictates of hu- 
manity", and the fate of small na- 
tions and of democratic institutions 
were matters that did not concern 
it. But when our enormous war/ 
traffic was seriously threatened, 
our government calls upon us to 
rally to the "defense of democracy 
and civilization." 

Our entrance into the European 
war was instigated by the pr;eda- 
tory capitalists in the United States 
who boast of the enonnous profit 
of seven billion dollars from the 
manufacture and sale of munitions 
and war supplies and from the ex- 
portation of American food stulTs 
and other necessaries. They are 
also deeply interested in the con- 
tinuance of war and the success 
of the allied arms through their 
huge loans to the governments of 
the allied powers and through 
other commercial ties. It is the 
same interests which strive for 
imperialistic domination of the 
Western Hemisphere. 

The war 'Of the United State? 
against Germanj^ cannot be justi- 
fied even on the plea that it is a 
war in defense of American rights 
or American "honor." Ruthless as 
the um-estricted submarine war 
policy of the German government 
was and is, it is not an invasion of 
the rights of the American people 
as such, but only an interfei*ence 
with the opportunity of certain 
groups of American capitalists tt> 
coin cold profits out of the blood 
and sufferings of our fellow men 
in the warring countries of Europe. 

It is not a war against the mili- 
tarist regime of the Central Pow- 
ers. Militarism can never be abol- 
ished by militarism. 

It is not a war to advance the 
cause of democracy in Europe. 
Democracy can never be imposed 
upon any country by a foreign 
power by force of anns. 

It is cant and hypocricy to say 



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that the war is not dinected against 
the German people, but against the 
Imperial Government of Germany. 
If we send an armed force to the 
battlefields of Europe, its cannon 
will mow down the masses of the 
German people and not the Im- 
perail German Government. 

Our entrance into the European 
conflict at this time will serve only 
to multiply the horrors of the war, 
to increase the toll of death and 
destruction und to prolong the 
fiendish slaughter. It will bring 
death, suflfering and destitution to 
the people of the United States and 
particularly to the working class. 
It will give the powers of reaction 
in this country the pretext for an 
attempt to throttle our rights and 
to crush our democratic institu- 
tions, and to fasten upon this coun- 
try a permanent militarism. 

The working class of the United 
States has no quarrel with the 
working class of Germany or of any 
other country. The people of the 
United States have no quarrel with 
the people of Germany or any other 
country. The American people did 
not want and do not want this war. 
They have not been consulted about 
the war and have had no part in 
declaring war. They have been 
plunged into this war by the trick- 
ery and treachery of the ruling 
class of the country through its 
representatives in the National Ad- 
ministration and National Con- 
gress, its demagogic agitators, its 
subsidized press, and other servile 
instruments of public expression. 

We brand the declaration of 
war by our government as a crime 
against the people of the United 
States and against the nations of 
the world. 

In all modern history there has 
been no war more unjustifiable 
than the war in which we are about 
to engage. 

No greater (iishonor has ever 
been forced upon ^a people than that 
> 



which the capitalist class is forcing 
upon this nation against its will. 

In harmony with these princi- 
ples, the Socialist Party emphatic- 
ically rejects the pronosal that in 
time of war the 
suspend their stru 
conditions. On th 
acute situation ci 
calls for an even moi«. 
prosecution of the class .» 
and we recommend to the w 
and pledge ourselves to the 
ing course of action : 

1. Continuous, active, a. 
lie opposition to the war, t 
demonstrations, mass pe 
and all other means withii. 
power. 

2. Unyielding opposition ^ 
proposed legislation for n- 
or industrial conscription, 
such conscription be forcec 
the people, we pledge oursel 
continuous efforts for the ri 
of such laws and to the suppo: 

all mass movements in opposit„un 
to conscription. We pledge ovur- 
selves to oppose with all, ciur 
strength any attempt to rmse 
money for payment of war expense 
by taxing the necessaries of life or 
issuing bonds which will put •^he 
burden upon future generation.'^. 
We demand that the capitalist 
class, which is responsible for the 
war, pay its cost. Let those who 
kindled the fire furnish the fuel. 

3. Vigorous resistance to all re- 
actionary measures, such as cen- 
sorshop of press and mails, restric- 
tion of the rights of free speech, 
assemblage, and organization, or 
compulsory arbitration and limita- 
tion of the right to strike. 

4. Consistent propaganda 
against military training and mili- 
taristic teaching in the public 
schools. 

5. Extension of the campaign 
of education among the workers to 
organize them into strong, class- 
conscious, and closely unified politi- 



cal and industrial organizations, to 
enable them by concerted and har- 
monious mass action to shorten 
this war and to establish lasting 
peace. 

6. Widespread, educational pro- 
paganda to enlighten the masses 
■^ relation between 

war, and to rouse 
em for action, not 
jsent war evils, but 
^vention of future wars 
the destruction of the 
of war. 

"^o protect the masses of the 

\n people from the pressing 

)f starvation which the war 

>pe has brought upon them, 

lich the entry of the United 

, has already accentuated, we 

nd: 

The restriction of food ex- 

'0 long as the present short- 

linues, the fixing of maxi- 

-rices, and whatever meas- 

aay be necessary to prevent 

ood speculators from holding 

the supplies now in their 

n^ ids ; 



(b) The socialization and demo- 
cratic management of the great 
industries concerned with the pro- 
duction, transportation, storage, 
and the marketing of food and oth- 
er necessaries of life ; 

(c) The sociahzation and demo- 
cratic management of all land and 
other natural resources now held 
out of use for monopolistic or spec- 
ulative profit. 




These measures are presented as 
means of protecting the workers 
against the evil results of the pres- 
ent war. The danger of recur- 
rence of war will exist as long as 
the capitalist system of industry 
remains in existence. The end of 
wars will come with the establish- 
ment of socialized industry and in- 
dustrial democracy the world over. 
The Socialist Party calls upon all 
the workers to join it in its struggle 
to reach this goal, and thus bring 
into the world a new society in 
which peace, fraternity, and human 
botherhood wdll be the dominant 
ideals. 



9 = 




MAY, 1917 

Tliis is No. 5 of the Series of ORGANIZATION LEAFLETS 
to be issued monthly by 

THE NATIONAL OFFICE, SOCIALIST PARTY 

Price 20c per hundred $1.50 per thousand. 

IF THIS INTERESTS YOU, PASS IT ON. 

Subscribe to The American Socialist, published weekly by the 
National Office, 803 West Madison Street, Chicago, 111., 50c per 
year, 25c for six months. It is a paper without a muzzle. 



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